Girl Power à la Duo
by cherry fantasy
Summary: Prof G sends a mission involving some crossdressing for Duo... And to Heero's opinion, pilot 02 plays his role a little too well ! [shounen ai & some OOCness] 1x2, 3x4
1. New mission

_**Disclaimer : **I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its original characters... but one can always dream, right ?_

_**WARNINGS : **Well, cross-dressing for Duo, obviously. This fic will also contain shounen ai, aka boys with boys. Don't like ? Don't read. It's as simple as that. Flames will be ignored. Also, beware of the OOCness. Can't say I didn't warn you._

_**Pairings : **1+2 with 3+4 as a side-pairing._

**Word from the author : Hi everyone ! So, this will be a short multi-chapters fic. Originally it was intended as a one-shot, but it got way too long for that so now it's multi-chapters. It won't be very long though, I doubt I'll even reach 10 chapters... but we never know, right ? Also, since I already have at least half of this written down already, it will be one of my fics where you shouldn't have to wait long for the updates.**

**Raiu : **Well, THAT will be one hell of a change from the usual.

**Akari : **Really Raiu, that's not a very nice thing to say...

**Raiu : **Whatever.

**Just get lost Raiu. Please folks, don't listen to her and enjoy the fic !**

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**Girl Power à la Duo**

by cherry fantasy

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**Chapter one : New mission**

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the forest was a splendid chef-d'oeuvre of autumnal colors. The weather, if not warm, was pleasant, and a few lazy clouds were making a slow journey through the afternoon sky. It seemed as if nothing could come and ruin the peace of this day…

"Excuse me ?!?! YOU want ME to do WHAT ?!?!"

In the secluded cabin the five Gundam pilots were currently sharing, Quatre Raberba Winner sighed and shook his blond head, his gaze moving toward the staircase leading to the second floor. A small amused smile appeared on his lips as he paused in his dinner preparations. He craned his neck and listened in for more…

"Necessary my ass !!! And why ME, huh ?!? Aren't we ALL going ?! Wait, it's the hair, isn't it ? (pause) Yeah, more _believable_, sure ! Like I didn't see THAT one coming ! You're lucky I vowed to never cut my hair, or I would rip it off right now and shove it down your- (pause) OKAY, damn it, explain away ! I'm listenin' ! Not like I have a choice…"

The voice died down after that, back to a normal volume, and Quatre lost the end of the conversation. With a pout he went back to his previous occupation of chopping some fresh vegetables. Beside him, looking after a boiling potage, Trowa Barton hid his smile and asked calmly :

"Disappointed you couldn't catch the end ?"

Quatre grinned and answered, completely unashamed :

"Quite. Duo's vocabulary never ceases to amaze me, and his ranting is always amusing to overhear"

Finally letting a small smile escape his cool façade, Trowa turned to him and said :

"He does liven things up, doesn't he ?"

"That's an understatement" Quatre replied with a chuckle.

They were interrupted by the banging of a door somewhere on the first floor, and seconds later Chang Wufei was standing in the kitchen entrance, his expression the definition of annoyance. Hands on his hips, he glanced backwards to glare at the staircase, then turned back to Quatre and Trowa before snapping :

"What in Nataku's name is going on with Maxwell ?! I'm _trying_ to meditate but his ranting, as I'm sure you can guess, makes it practically _impossible_ ! Who is he talking to, anyway ? I just saw Yuy in the living room, and you're both here. Has that braided baka finally lost it ?"

Trowa rolled his eyes and stayed silent. Quatre chuckled ; he had been wondering when Wufei would make an appearance. Still smiling pleasantly he answered his Chinese friend :

"No Wufei, Duo hasn't _lost it_. He's on his laptop right now, probably speaking with Professor G. As for what's going on, we don't know. We just caught some bits from his side of the conversation"

Wufei huffed ; apparently Quatre's explanation wasn't enough to appease him.

"But does he HAVE to be so LOUD ?!" he practically whined.

Quatre coughed to hide his laughter. Wufei's reactions to Duo's antics were always fun to observe. Those two were like cat and mouse. To be truthful, Quatre found it quite entertaining…

Trowa stepped in and quickly changed the subject :

"Dinner is ready"

As he began setting the table, Quatre looked toward a still brooding Wufei and asked :

"Wufei, would you go get Heero please ?"

The black-haired pilot let out a deep frustrated sigh and turned on his heels, heading to the adjacent living room. Done with his task, Quatre also exited the kitchen and went to stand at the bottom of the stairs. Looking upwards, he called :

"Duo ! Dinner !"

Not a second later Quatre had to quickly step aside to make sure he wasn't run over by hurricane Duo Maxwell. Clad in his black priest outfit with his long braid of chestnut hair swinging behind him, Duo passed by Quatre and was already in the kitchen before the latter had time to blink.

That was Duo alright. One was wise not to stand between him and his food.

Quatre walked back into the kitchen, followed closely by Heero and Wufei. Duo was already seated and Trowa was almost done serving dinner. When that was over Duo was of course the first to dig in, wolfing down his food as if he was trying to find out how much he could eat before actually exploding… which, to this day and to everyone's amazement, still hadn't happened.

Predictably, it wasn't long before Wufei cracked.

"For God's sake Maxwell ! Can't you at least TRY to eat like a normal human being ?!"

Duo stopped, swallowed and threw Wufei a mega-watts smile before answering cheerfully :

"I'm a growing boy, Wu ! I need nutrients !"

"It's _Wufei_ ! And what you need is a lesson about MANNERS !"

Not deterred in the least, Duo merely grinned and went back to his food… with_out_ changing a thing about his eating patterns. Quatre shook his head ; really, looking at Duo now, one would've never guessed he was the same boy who'd been screaming at his laptop a few minutes ago.

Thinking about that, and seeing a throbbing vein appear on Wufei's forehead, Quatre quickly turned to Duo and asked :

"By the way, Duo, what were you yelling about earlier ? What did Professor G tell you ?"

That got the others' attention ; they were just as curious to hear the answer. They were surprised to see Duo's expression darken as he grumbled :

"Oh, yeah, _that_…"

He set down his spoon, squirmed on his chair, frowned, sighed and finally let out :

"We have a mission"

Immediately they were all alert, especially Heero who ordered dryly :

"Brief us"

Duo glanced at him, looked away, bit his bottom lip, glanced at the others, then back at Heero… but he stayed silent. Unusual enough for him, but even more unusual was the rosy tint on his cheeks that only Quatre and Trowa noticed…

Getting annoyed, Heero snapped :

"The mission, Maxwell. What is it ?"

With one last sigh Duo straightened up and, reluctantly, started talking :

"We are to infiltrate the famous Villefort Academy for Brilliant Minds. We will all go undercover as students of the establishment. All in all, it's a posh school for rich kids, and most of them are nothing _brilliant_, if ya see what I mean. Anyway, about the mission's objective… You see, Prof G was after this Oz guy… He was a high graded lieutenant, apparently, and he held all kinds of information that would've been very useful to us. Prof G wanted to capture him and make him talk… The thing is, the guy's shuttle was shot down during a fight about a week ago. Hard to question a dead man…"

"So ? Where do WE come into all of this ?" Wufei asked impatiently.

"Don't fret Wu-man, I'm getting to it" Duo told him, ignoring Wufei's glare at the nickname, before pursuing : "Prof G still wants that information, but he has no idea where the lieutenant kept it. He had the guy's house searched from top to bottom and found nothing. No papers, no disks, no computer files, nothing. Obviously our man hid his knowledge well. Anyway, Prof G found out that the lieutenant's only sibling is headmaster at the Villefort Academy under a borrowed name. The two were very close and it's possible the lieutenant entrusted his brother with his secrets. We have to get close to this man and investigate him, _without_ looking suspicious. That's why starting next Monday, we'll all be students of the Academy. It's the beginning of the first semester so it won't look strange to get new students. We just have to come up with new identities and a background story for our presence there"

"All five of us are needed ?" Trowa wondered.

"According to Prof G and the four other lunatics, yes. Says it'll go faster with all of us workin' on it, and that we'll already have backup in case something happens. Well, orders are orders I guess. S'not like we have a say in the matter"

The others had to agree with that. They were Gundam pilots, and their job was to follow orders, no questions asked. And they all knew that Duo, although he applied to it, had never really liked that rule. With the free personality he possessed, it was no wonders…

"Is that why you were angry at Professor G, Duo ?" Quatre asked as they all resumed eating.

Duo paused again, his spoon midway between his bowl and his mouth. There was a definite blush coloring his cheeks this time. He cleared his throat and answered :

"Hum, not really… That was because of the second part of the mission…"

"What second part ?" Heero immediately inquired.

"Breathe, Hee-chan, I was _going_ to tell you" Duo said, receiving another glare for his efforts.

He just grinned. He was pretty immune to those glares by now.

Noticing he once again had everyone's attention, he spoke up :

"That second part is mostly for me. It's… huh, well… Okay, so, here's the thing : the lieutenant was widowed since many years, but he had two sons. Twins. Coincidentally, they're both students at the Academy. They're among the few who are actually smarter than the average youth. Prof G thinks that they may know some things, so he asked me to investigate on them and to… hugh, I can't _believe_ that old fool… You see, those twins, they're not likely to have any _written_ information, but their father may have spoken to them, or they might have overheard something, and they're both far from being stupid, so… I'm to try and… _seduce_ whatever they may know out of them"

The others looked at him as if he had just grown a second head. He didn't blame them. He must've looked worst when he'd heard it from G…

Wufei worked his jaw for a moment before letting out :

"What…?"

"You heard me, Wu. But wait, there's more : the twins are _completely _hetero and long time homophobes. What d'you think that means for me, huh ?"

Wufei's eyes got as large as plates as he started to realize what Duo meant. Duo glanced at the others and saw their own expressions change as it dawned on them too…

"Yup, guys, you got it" he told them with false cheer. "I'm to enter Villefort Academy for Brilliant Minds… as a _girl_ !"

Quatre and Trowa glanced at each other disbelievingly.

Wufei stared at Duo, doing a perfect imitation of a fish out of the water.

And under the table, Heero finally squeezed his spoon to its limit and broke it in two.

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**A/N : I know, it's been done before, but the plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone, so there ! **

**Seriously, I really hope you like it so far ! Please review and let me know ! Next chapter is already written and will be posted soon. And don't worry, the 1+2 and 3+4 will appear shortly !**

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	2. Disguise time

**Note from the author : Gosh, that was quick ! My own personal record, I'm telling you ! Well, since it's already written and all I have to do is post it... I'm not sure if that counts... Do you think I should wait longer before posting ? I probably should, or this fic will be over way too quickly...**

**Anyway, a big thank you to all those who reviewed ! You are all so nice ! **

**Also, sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Just think of it as some kind of interlude. The next one will be longer.**

**Raiu : **Come on, just let them read for God's sake !

**I was GOING to, you pest !**

**Raiu : **Yeah, sure...

**I WAS !!!**

**Akari : **Just ignore them and please, enjoy the chapter !

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**Girl Power à la Duo**

by cherry fantasy

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**Chapter two : Disguise time**

Duo stood in front of his bed, staring reproachfully at the clothes laid on the mattress. They weren't just any clothes : they were the Villefort Academy's uniform.

It's not that the uniform was ugly or anything. In fact, it was rather nice looking.

The problem was that it was a _girl_'s uniform.

Duo snorted, then sighed and sat down on his bed. There was really no way out of this.

'_Damn G and his crazy ideas !' _Duo thought. _'I swear he just wants to make fun of me, that old coot. Just 'cause I have long hair, I'm the one who has to play the girl ! Sexist idiot…'_

Although, as crazy as it sounded, Professor G's idea WAS good. It might actually work. And it was true that thanks to his slim figure, heart shaped face and long hair, Duo was best suited for the job. Even Duo himself couldn't deny it.

There was also the fact that none of the other pilots were as versed as him in the art of seduction. Quatre wasn't that bad, but the other three were hopeless. And Quatre didn't have long hair… damn.

'_So it all comes down to me. Guess I have no choice… It IS a good idea when you think about it… Well, if I'm to play this role, I'm gonna play it well ! It won't be said that Duo Maxwell has ever backed down from a mission ! Time to show off my acting skills…'_

After all, since there was really no way to get out of this cross-dressing experience, Duo figured he might as well accept it… and have some fun with it ! That wasn't forbidden, right ? Add to that, it's not as if he had any real problem with seducing the twins… or any other male students for that matter. Duo had never made it a secret that he was into boys.

Hey, it might even make Heero jealous !

'_Yeah, I wish…I don't even know if he's into boys… or into anything, for that matter. I swear that guy is asexual ! But even if he WAS gay, I doubt he'd like me…Seems as if I annoy him more than anything else…' _

Seeing that his thoughts were taking a rather depressing turn, Duo shook his head and focused on the matters at hand. He'd brood over his one-sided love for Heero later.

Just as he was rising to his feet, someone knocked at his bedroom's door.

"Yes ?" he called.

"Duo ?" Quatre's voice answered from the other side of the door. "Do you need any help ?"

"No no Q, it's okay ! Just give me a few minutes and I'll be out !"

"Alright then" came the muffled reply. "We'll be waiting downstairs"

"Roger that Q-man !"

The sound of footsteps fading away told Duo that the blond was gone. _'Well, here goes nothin' !' _he thought. He turned back toward his bed and started to undress ; soon he was left in nothing but his black boxer shorts.

'_By Shinigami, what I wouldn't do for the mission…Heero must be rubbing off on me…' _Duo thought again with dry humor as he picked up the stuffed bra…

o0o

Downstairs, the other four boys were ready to go. The uniform for Villefort Academy's male students was quite nice looking as well, with the added bonus of being comfortable to wear.

Heero, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei all had on a pair of dark grey pants, a white button-up shirt with a high collar and a very stylish jacket the same color as the pants. A red ribbon tied in a loose loop around their neck was playing the role of a tie, and black shiny shoes complemented the outfit.

Today would be their first day at the Villefort Academy. Their "registration" was cleared, their new identities ready to the last detail, and their school files hacked to fit each of their background stories. Trowa had went to grab their uniforms just the day before, and now all that was left was to see if Duo's disguise would be… convincing enough.

"Maxwell dressed as a woman" Wufei said with a smirk. "I sure can't wait to see _that_ !"

"Now Wufei, don't go and make fun of him" Quatre told him. "He feels bad enough as it is"

"I'll try" Wufei said with his smirk still in place, "but I promise nothing"

Quatre rolled his eyes ; why did he even bother trying ?

On his part, Trowa was observing Heero curiously. The blue-eyed boy was acting strange, even for him. It was very slight, and the other two probably hadn't noticed, but very little escaped Trowa… For example, he had seen the way Heero would take quick glances toward the staircase every five seconds, the way he kept passing a hand through his hair (a clear sign that he was nervous, Trowa had gathered) or again the way he kept tapping the floor softly with the extremity of his right foot. That was definitely not a normal "heero-ish" behavior, as Duo would say. But Trowa thought he knew what was causing it… And if he was right (which was almost always the case), things would get quite interesting very soon…

"By Nataku, where the Hell is he ?!" Wufei suddenly exclaimed, annoyed. "I don't know if it's because of the clothes, but that baka sure takes as long as a woman to get ready !"

"Wufei, really…" came a soft and melodious voice. "What an inappropriate language to use in front of a lady"

The four boys turned toward the origin of the voice, the living room's entrance, and only their rigorous training kept them from having to pick their jaws off the floor.

There in front of them stood one of the most beautiful girls they had ever seen. Her long, wavy chestnut hair was falling freely over her shoulders, reaching all the way to her waist. Some locks had been taken from the sides and tied at the back of her head with a simple red bow ; some others had been left at the front to frame her heart-shaped face. Wide violet eyes were enhanced by long dark lashes, and a hint of color had been added on her lips.

She was wearing a knee-length, fan folded skirt the same dark grey color as their pants. Her white button-up blouse hugged her small perky breasts and accentuated her slim waist. Over it she wore a dark grey jacket similar to theirs, only shorter and with more feminine curves. She also had a red ribbon tied in a loose loop around her neck, like them, and at her feet were white loose socks and small black shoes.

She was a vision, there were no other words.

If the four boys standing shell-shocked in the living room hadn't known that it was Duo underneath that disguise, they could've never guessed he wasn't a girl.

"Duo…?" Quatre asked hesitantly, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing yet.

"The one and only, Q-man !" Duo answered with a wink, using his normal voice. Then he went back to the soft voice he had used earlier and, while graciously throwing his hair over his shoulder, he added : "But please, call me Dana, pretty boy"

"Dana" batted her long eyelashes for more effect and tilted her head to the side cutely. Quatre blushed to the roots of his hair and Wufei cursed in Chinese as blood rushed out of his nose, thankfully not staining his white shirt. Trowa took the time to notice that Heero was looking at everything but Duo (and oh my was that a rosy tint coloring his emotionless features…?) before going to fetch a tissue for Wufei.

Duo just stood there with a smile on his colored lips, apparently very pleased by the reactions he was getting.

A few minutes later Wufei's nosebleed had calmed, Quatre had managed not to blush every time he looked at Duo, and Heero had managed to actually _look_ at Duo. The less affected was Trowa, but even him was quite impressed by Duo's transformation.

"Damn it Maxwell !" Wufei growled, the tissue still held under his nose. "That is WAY too convincing ! Are you certain you're not a woman ?!"

"Positive. You wanna check ?" Duo joked, then he reversed to a soft feminine voice and said with a sweet pearly laugh : "Oh, you're so forward, darling !"

Wufei cursed again as more blood came, and Quatre hurried to fetch him another tissue, trying to hide his own renewed blush in the process. Trowa let out a small smirk as he said :

"That will do, Duo. If you don't stop Wufei will die of blood loss and Quatre will spontaneously combust"

Duo burst out laughing ; his normal laugh, loud and deep. The contrast between that laugh and his current appearance was quite mind-boggling…

"Oh man, Trowa" Duo declared in between chuckles while wiping at his eyes, "that was hilarious ! Didn't know you had it in ya !"

Quatre and Wufei huffed and Trowa just grinned lightly. Only Quatre usually saw that more playful side of him. The tall Heavyarms pilot then glanced to the side and noted that some time when he wasn't looking, Heero had evolved from "let's-look-at-everything-but-Duo" to "let's-glue-our-stare-to-Duo's-person". Well, if _that_ wasn't an interesting development, Trowa didn't know what it was.

"Guys, shouldn't we get going ?" Duo suddenly asked. "We'll be late. That wouldn't look good on our reports, let me tell ya !" he joked, wiggling his brows.

The others agreed. They gathered their things and headed outside, Duo leading the group. Once again he took up his girly voice and said while adding an obvious sway to his hips :

"Oh my, I'm so lucky ! I get to be escorted to school by four handsome boys ! The other girls will be soooooo jealous !"

Then he threw a wink at them over his shoulder.

Quatre laughed, Trowa raised an amused eyebrow, Heero stared at Duo's hips and Wufei grabbed a box of tissue before closing the door.

They would never again question Duo's acting abilities.

Their stay at Villefort Academy promised to be one of a kind.

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**A/N : Okay, that makes one more. Did you like it ? Please review, I'd love to know what you think !**

**Next chapter is about the boys entering Villefort Academy, so don't miss it ! And to answer some questions, yes the boys will stay in the Academy's dormitories, yes Duo will of course have to stay with the girls, and about the possibility of him being discovered by the other girls... well you'll just have to wait and see ::winks::**

**See you all soon !**

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	3. Villefort Academy

**Word from the author : Gosh, sorry guys, I'm a bit late on schedule ! I was so busy yesterday I barely had time to breathe ! To amend myself, this chapter is longer than the others. In fact I was supposed to send this part in 2 different chapters, but since I made you wait, I fused them together and sent it all in one bunch. I hope you'll like it !**

**Akari : **Of course they will, cherry-chan !

**Raiu : **Yeah, maybe on some other planet...

**You just couldn't stop yourself from making another snide remark, huh ?**

**Raiu : **Nope.

**Thought so... Anyway, please enjoy the chapter, everyone !**

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**Girl Power à la Duo**

by cherry fantasy

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**Chapter three : Villefort Academy**

Villefort Academy for Brilliant Minds was nothing if not an impressive piece of art. A bit over-the-top, maybe, most probably to amaze its would-be students (and especially their _rich_ parents), but impressive nonetheless.

The Academy was situated on a hill at some distance from the city, and the school grounds went as far as the eye could see. Bright green and perfectly mowed lawn spread out everywhere, interrupted on occasions by just as perfectly pruned bushes and trees. Here and there one could see beautiful patches of flowers, disposed artistically in an array of different colors. Then there were the fountains, great marble fountains showing sculpted angels or maidens pouring crystalline water into large basins. Privet hedges and willow trees lined each stony pathways going through that décor.

The main building stood tall and white at the top of the hill, its golden embellishments sparkling in the sun. In all honesty, it looked more like a palace than a school. Beside it stood two similar buildings of three floors each, quite obviously the students' dormitories. Behind the Academy, at the bottom of the hill, was a large forest, and a lake was sitting at its left.

Truly, it wasn't hard to understand why only rich students could attend this school.

The five Gundam pilots had arrived separately, of course, since they weren't supposed to really know each other. Although, the Academy's tradition wanted that they all meet anyway : after going through the registration office, every new student was told to wait in a room near the teachers' lounge, as the headmaster insisted to greet each of them personally.

The five pilots were no exception, and so they were currently all seated in a room with six other students, waiting for their name to be called. Ironically, Duo was the only "girl" in the room. That didn't go unnoticed by the other boys, and soon Duo was interrupted from his discreet Heero-watching by a voice saying :

"Excuse me ?"

Duo turned toward the owner of the voice ; it was a blond-haired, green-eyed boy, rather nice looking, with a silver earring on his left ear.

Not forgetting to soften his voice, Duo answered :

"Yes ?"

The boy straightened and bowed to him before saying pleasantly :

"Hi. My name is Darius Hollinworth. May I ask yours, Miss ?"

Duo blinked. Was that guy… flirting with him ? Or should he say, with _her_ ? Duo looked closer and saw the light blush on the boy's cheeks... _'Well, would you look at that ! He IS flirting with me ! Oh, that's cute ! Hmm, okay, let's see…'_

Duo took a quick glance at the other pilots, who were all staring at him while skillfully seeming like they weren't. _'Alright' _Duo thought, _'Time to act !'_

He looked back at the boy, selected his most charming smile and said :

"Hello Darius. I'm Dana. Dana Moore. It's a pleasure to meet you !"

Darius practically melted and a large smile appeared on his own lips as he replied :

"Oh no, Miss Moore, the pleasure is all mine !"

"Please, just call me Dana" Duo asked, forcing a cute blush on his cheeks.

Darius looked like he was in Seventh Heaven. Slowly he sat down beside Duo and said :

"So, Dana. Obviously you're new here as well. May I know where you come from ?"

And so the flirting continued. Soon it was two, then three, then finally four boys gathered dreamy-eyed around _Dana_, and she kept charming them with her sweet smile and melodious laugh. It was almost scary how convincing Duo's acting was.

Or anyway, that's what the other pilots were thinking at the moment.

Yes, even Heero.

The blue-eyed pilot was in a very bad mood right now. For some reason that he had yet to discover, all those pesky students swarming around Duo were annoying him to no end. What was it with them ? They looked like a bunch of idiots, sighing and smiling and agreeing to everything _Dana _said with a reverent look in their eyes. Couldn't they take a hold of themselves and _leave Duo alone_ ? Had they no pride at all ?

'_Hn. Such a nuisance' _Heero thought with a silent snort.

Then he saw Darius lay a hand on Duo's shoulder, and all that kept the poor boy from losing his arm was Heero's intense training and the voice that suddenly called :

"Mr. Nakamura ? The headmaster will see you first"

Heero answered to his new name and rose to his feet. He then followed the young secretary to the headmaster's office, not without throwing one last glare over his shoulder at the boys still gathered around Duo.

Trowa, who had missed nothing of the silent altercation, followed Heero's exit with a discreet smirk.

o0o

Heero entered the headmaster's office with a dark frown on his face. Something in the back of his mind couldn't help but wonder what those boys were doing with Duo now, and that _something_ was driving him mad.

'_This… whatever it is, is unacceptable' _Heero told himself sternly. _'I have to focus on the mission'_

That decided, Heero called forth all the discipline his training had ingrained in him over the years, and he brushed away all thoughts that didn't have to do with his current mission. And so, when the headmaster raised his gaze from the papers on his desk to look at the newcomer, what he saw was a Japanese brown-haired boy with cold blue eyes and a face devoid of any emotion. Exactly what Heero wanted him to see.

"Ah, Mr. Nakamura !" the man exclaimed. "Please, do take a seat"

Heero did just that. Selecting a file from the papers on his desk, the headmaster pursued :

"First, I wish to welcome you to the Villefort Academy. As you've probably heard, I am Gregory O'Connor, headmaster of this establishment. And you, from what your school file tells me, are Nakamura Takeo, son of Nakamura Hiroshi. Did I pronounce that right ?"

"Yes sir"

"Good, good. These papers also tell me that you come from the Nagano Prefecture in Honshu, Japan, and that your father is actually the anonymous co-owner of NanoTech, the famous Japanese company specialized in computer science. Am I still right ?"

"Yes" Heero answered emotionlessly.

"Well, we are very pleased to have you with us, Mr. Nakamura. Be sure to let your father know that his secret is safe with us. May I ask, though, why you came all the way from Japan to study in our country ?"

"My father thought it would be good for my upbringing to study overseas for a year or two. He said I needed to see the world, to enlarge my horizons before I took over his share of the company for him" Heero recited coldly.

"I see" O'Connor said with a nod. "A wise decision indeed. Well, we are honored that you chose our Academy over all the others. We shall do our best to make your stay here as pleasant as possible. And please, if you need anything, do not be afraid to ask"

"Yes sir. Arigato"

"Doitashimashite, Nakamura-kun"

Knowing that the interview was over, Heero rose, bowed and left the office.

o0o

The next one to be called was Quatre or, as his new identity pretended, Abd-al-Kalil ibn Hassan ibn Salman Al-Khalifa. He posed as a young prince coming from Ryadh, emirate and capital of Saudi Arabia.

"Well Mr. Al-Khalifa" the headmaster started after Quatre was seated, "it is quite a name you have there !"

"It's very common where I come from to have such a long name" Quatre answered with a polite smile. "Just call me Kalil Al-Khalifa, it will be easier"

"Indeed, thank you. Well, welcome to the Academy, Mr. Al-Khalifa. It is not so often that we get Arabian students. Your file also mentions that you are a prince, is that correct ?"

"More or less. My family does have some royal blood, but my father is only 54th in line for the throne, so it's more of an obligatory title than anything. We won't be ruling Arabia anytime soon. My father is a mere businessman… although a rich one, I must admit"

"I see" O'Connor said with a laugh while leaning back in his chair. "Well then, what are you doing so far from your country, if I may ask ?"

"You may" Quatre replied with another smile. "To make a long story short, my father had to make a trip here for affairs. He planned to stay on the continent for quite a while, maybe a year or so. I always wanted to see new places, so I asked to accompany him. He accepted on the condition that I pursue my studies here. I agreed"

"Is that so ? In that case, we thank you for choosing the Villefort Academy. We will do our best not to disappoint you"

Quatre nodded, thanked him and left the office.

o0o

The interviews went much the same for everyone else, including the other three pilots.

Trowa was now Noah Lefebvre ; his family and him had supposedly moved from the region of Auvergne, in France, and had now established themselves in America. His father was a reputed lawyer and his mother a writer with four best-sellers to her credit… best-sellers she had written under a created pen name, of course.

Wufei's new name was Wang Jian Yu, Wang being his last name. He was a transfer student who came from the province of Hebei, in China. Both his parents were doctors, his father being a heart surgeon and his mother a forensic scientist.

And finally, Duo had become Dana Elizabeth Moore ; _she_ came directly from London, England, and was the only daughter of Lord Eliot Sullivan Moore. According to her "file", her family had old ties to the English aristocracy. Her father had inherited the title of Count… _and _the great wealth that came with it. Apparently, Dana's father had sent her to the Villefort Academy after hearing of its reputation from a friend of his.

And so, after telling their stories and secretly smirking at the skillfully made-up files that the headmaster was using, the five boys were free to go to their respective dormitories. Of course they had hacked into the school's computer in advance to choose their own rooms, although to everyone else it would look like a simple coincidence.

Anyhow, Heero shared his room with Wufei and Trowa was with Quatre. Obviously, they were all in the boys' dormitory. Duo, being _Dana_, had to stay with the girls in the other building. Nonetheless, like the others, he had chosen his room, making sure it was on the first floor and close to an exit. It would come in handy if they ever had to sneak out unnoticed… which would inevitably happen. Mission necessities and all that jazz, as Duo would say.

Right now the boys were to meet in Heero and Wufei's room, and the less people who noticed, the better. After all, they weren't supposed to know each other yet. They needed to have a quick briefing though, and since each of them knew everything about moving without being seen, discretion wasn't really a problem.

Duo, his room being in the other dormitory, was the last one to arrive. Heero quickly let him in after one soft knock at the door.

"Nobody saw you ?" Heero asked after the door was closed.

Duo just raised a mocking brow as if that was the stupidest question in the world. Heero glared. Duo grinned and humored him :

"Not 'ven the seagulls, cap'tain !" he declared with a salute and a gruff sailor's voice.

Heero glared more. Quatre quickly cleared his throat and asked :

"Do the girls even have the right to be in the boys' dormitory ?"

"From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the dormitories are accessible to everyone" Duo answered while sitting down beside Wufei on one of the beds. "Outside those hours though, the boys and the girls are to stay in their own building"

The others mentally took note of that new information, then Quatre asked :

"So, what did you think of Mr. O'Connor ? Do you think he has the information we're looking for ?"

"He is suspicious" Heero answered. "We need more data on him"

"Yes, that's true" Quatre agreed. "We should wait until we know more about who he really is. Professor G told us that Gregory O'Connor was just a borrowed name. If that man felt the need to hide his true identity…"

"…then that means he didn't want to be found" Trowa concluded. "There must be a reason for that"

"We must conduct a further investigation" Heero stated.

"We should be careful though" Wufei said. "O'Connor seems to be an intelligent man. We can't let him suspect anything about us"

"He's an old pervert, that's what he is" Duo suddenly intervened with a snort.

The others looked at him questioningly. Duo rolled his eyes and elaborated :

"He didn't stop ogling me during the whole interview ! Oh he was hiding it well with his professional attitude and all, but I wasn't born yesterday : I saw where his eyes were lingering while his mouth was babbling all that polite nonsense, and let me tell you that it wasn't on my face ! I thought he would jump me before I had the chance to leave his office !"

His rant finished, Duo threw his long flowing hair over his shoulder and crossed his arms with a frown on his face. The intimidating effect was slightly ruined by the whole "dressed-as-a-girl" thing though…

"Well…" Quatre said after a moment, "that is some interesting new data, isn't it Heero ?"

"Hai" Heero agreed icily.

Trowa raised a curious eyebrow when he noticed that Heero's fists were clenched hard enough to leave the joints white. _'We have a pattern here…' _Trowa thought.

Meanwhile, Quatre was asking a still fuming Duo :

"What about the twins Duo ? Do you know what they look like ?"

Duo unfolded his arms and answered :

"Not yet. I was planning to hack into their files tonight. No worries, Q ! I'll know everything I need to know about them by tomorrow morning"

Quatre nodded. Heero tightened his fists.

"So Maxwell" Wufei suddenly asked with a smirk. "How do you like playing the girl ? Tired of your admirers yet ?"

"What, you mean the boys from earlier ?" Duo replied with his own smirk in place. "Why, you jealous ?"

"Absolutely not !" Wufei declared, his smirk turning into a frown.

Duo grinned wickedly, scooted closer to a now horrified Wufei, quickly took hold of his arm and said with a soft seductive voice :

"Why darling, if you want me for yourself all you have to do is ask !"

And then Duo batted his long eyelashes as a final touch.

"I WANT NO SUCH THING ! LET GO OF ME THIS INSTANT, MAXWELL !" Wufei yelled out, his cheeks beet red as he tried frantically to free his arm from Duo's grip.

Duo just grinned at him. Quatre laughed and Trowa stared at them, amused.

Heero just stood there, silent.

Duo glanced at him… and noticed that Heero's right fist was bleeding.

"Heero !" he exclaimed, getting up and letting go of Wufei so quickly that the Chinese boy almost tumbled down the bed.

Duo just walked toward Heero, trying to get a glimpse of his fist. It wasn't easy because the blue-eyed boy had hid his hands behind his back the moment he'd seen Duo approaching.

Duo came to stand before him and said with a frown :

"Heero, show me your hands"

"Leave me alone" Heero growled out with a glare.

Duo just frowned harder and insisted :

"You're bleeding, Heero. Show me your hands so that I can take a look at it"

"I said leave me alone, Duo" Heero repeated, his glare taking a dangerous glint.

But Duo was used to those glares more than anyone else. It was sad to say, but he was at the end of it more often than not. They didn't intimidate him quite that much anymore. So he just ignored it and said :

"Quit it, Heero, I know your right hand is bleeding. Just show it to me okay ?"

Heero felt the others' gaze on him, and while his cool façade stayed unperturbed, in his head he was cursing in every language he knew. He then turned his attention back on Duo who was still looking at him with concern, and something in those violet eyes made his hands move on their own to the front of his body. And when Duo gently took his right hand in his, something happened in Heero's chest, making his heart beat faster. It was a rushing sensation, but Heero couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was…

Meanwhile Duo examined his hand and said :

"Heero, you practically dug your nails into your palm ! You have to control your strength, buddy ! Hey Quatre, could you fetch me the first-aid kit ?"

Quatre nodded and walked to the bathroom, throwing curious glances at the pair over his shoulder. Duo turned back to Heero and saw that he was standing just before the worktable's chair. Duo gave him a little push and said :

"Come on Heero, you sit down and I'll take care of your hand"

"I can do it myself" Heero said stubbornly, not moving an inch.

One thing was for sure, Duo couldn't move him by force.

"Heero, don't be a baby ! Just let me do it, okay ? I won't cut it off, for God's sake !"

"I…" Heero started to refuse once more.

"Heero Yuy. Sit. Down. Now."

Duo's voice was very calm this time, but there was something in his tone… And against his conscious will, Heero found himself sitting on the worktable's chair without further protest.

Trowa and Wufei just looked at Duo, baffled.

Quatre came back and handed the first-aid kit to Duo, who took it without a word.

Silence took over the room as Duo kneeled before Heero and tended to his hand. His movements were efficient but gentle ; somehow it made shivers run down Heero's arm, while his heartbeat picked up the pace even more. What in the world was going on with him ?

"You're such a baka, Heero" Duo suddenly said softly, his voice close to a whisper as he bandaged Heero's hand.

Heero tried to look at him, but Duo's head was bowed, his long chestnut locks shadowing his face, so Heero couldn't see his expression. For some reason, at this moment it bothered him very much that he couldn't se Duo's eyes.

Nonetheless, he just sat there, silent.

The others watched them, having a faint idea of what was going on, but not daring to mention it.

When they separated a few minutes later, it was with a lot on their mind...

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**A/N : Okay, I hope I'm forgiven... and that you liked it ! **

**Oh my ! Would you look at that little purple button ! It's so innocently waiting to be clicked on...**

**Please send me some reviews, minna-san !**

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